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HAVERHILL — No matter what the records are, the Thanksgiving Day game matters.

A lot.

If one didn't know how Haverhill and Lowell were doing this season walking into Trinity Stadium yesterday, the game easily could have been confused for a conference title battle instead of a fight for respectability. Both teams wanted victory badly, maybe a little too much as 10 personal foul penalties would indicate, but team and personal pride was on the line.

See highlights and interviews from Andover's exciting victory over Lowell.

ANDOVER — It may not have taken eight overtime like a season ago, but the celebration on the Lovely Field turf was just as emotional.

“What a rivalry!” said quad-captian Matt Crush. “They need to start giving out a trophy for this rivarly.”

METHUEN — If you haven’t already, please add the name of Lowell senior R.J. Noel to the list of outstanding quarterbacks in the Merrimack Valley Conference. Throwing a beautiful spiral most of the evening, Noel passed for 242 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 100 yards and a score as the Red Raiders overwhelmed Methuen 41-14. After splitting time at QB last year, Noel has taken over in a big way, leading Lowell to a 3-1 record. In the Red Raiders’ lone loss, 44-41 to Nashua South, he threw for a school-record 501 yards. “I think I’m up there with (Nick) LaSpada (of Billerica),” said Noel. “I worked hard over the summer.” Lowell coach John Florence wasn’t ready to make comparisons, but he said: “I think LaSpada developed early and R.J. has worked at it and gotten better and better.” Whatever the case, Noel looked sharp last night, particularly in the first half. With Methuen’s offense stumbling, Noel completed beautiful TD passes of 26 and 17 yards to give the Red Raiders a 14-0 halftime lead. Eric Lacroix led the Rangers (2-2) on a 68-yard drive to open the second half, scoring from the 2-yard-line to cut the score to 14-7, but the Red Raiders came back with three straight touchdowns to put the game out of reach, the third coming after recovering  a line-drive kickoff that bounced off a Methuen lineman. Lacroix (19 carries, 93 yards rushing and 80 yards passing) scored his second touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter, but by then it was too late. Lowell outgained Methuen 471-277 for the game. “We just didn’t play very well,” said disappointed Methuen coach Tom Tone. “I thought we were ready to play.”

LOWELL - Presented with the opportunity to make history, Lawrence High's footballers simply didn't handle it well.

In fact, they kicked, dribbled it and fumbled it away in the drizzle at Cawley Stadium last night, tumbling to Lowell and R.J. Noel, 21-0.